The following is quoted directly from an Irish Independent article titled 'A Splash of Italy's Lakes' by Liam Campbell published on August 24th 2013.
Hemingway regarded Valpolicella as "warm like a friend's house". It is certainly among Italy's most friendly red wines; with low tannins, moderate 12pc-13.5pc alcohol and being food-friendly with many different dishes.
These lighter-style northern Italian reds from the vineyards around Lake Garda are a good match for spontaneous summer dining: rapid-response-style meals that take longer to eat than to prepare.
Valpolicella's bright, cherry, fruity flavours with crisp, mouthwatering acidity work well with salami, cold meats, cheeses, pizza, tomato-sauced pasta and other salty dishes.
Most Valpolicellas are at their best when young – having been fermented with the juice having minimal contact with the black grape skins containing astringent tannins, the wines have a gentle and soft tannin, allowing them to be served fridge-cool, 10°C-12°C.
'Superiore' indicates extra alcohol from riper grapes and an additional year's ageing for a more mellow impression.
The best vineyard sites are indicated on the bottle's label by Classico and refer to the terraces of the steep hilly slopes overlooking the city of Verona. A trinity of grape varieties make up Valpolicella: Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella, sounding like three sisters from an operetta.
A blind tasting that included one of our very own wines was carried out. The Irish Independent wine writer had this to say.
Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2010 Scriani, 13pc
Opulent black-cherry aromas and a whiff of oregano. Delicious and seductively smooth with cherries as the footnote and a herbal top note. An elegant wine. Match its feminine character with a sweeter red meat – barbecue lamb chops, marinated with rosemary and garlic in heat-tolerant peanut oil.
View the full article here.